Gray and Green
by nakati7
Summary: Annabeth is captain of the debate team, a straight A student, and has a crush on Luke, one of the most popular boys in school. Percy is the school's best swimmer, and is trying to break out of the image of being a typical jock. Annabeth goes to Percy for help, and both end up learning more about each other then they could have imagined. Percabeth, Thalico, other. T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there. Um. This is my first fanfic ever, so if anyone even reads this, any and all suggestions are welcome. Oh, and I apologize for anything that isn't accurate about any of the characters. So, let's get this started.**

Annabeth's POV

"_Love is not what one goes searching for. Love is what drags you into a dark place, beats you, then helps you up and gives you a meal. But it is the best meal one could ever have." -Unknown _

I took a moment to stop scrolling through my Facebook feed and read a little quote someone posted. I spent a moment thinking about it, then carried on scrolling.

After a few more minutes of this, I sighed, and put my phone back in my pocket. I glanced at the clock on the wall. 3:15. I didn't think frustration would be an accurate portrayal of my mood at this point. We were supposed to be meeting _half an hour ago._ Muttering to myself about the laziness of boys, I grabbed my backpack and started to stand when the door opened, and _he_ walked in.

Percy Jackson.

**Three hours ago**

"Are you sure you really want to do this, Annie?" Thalia asked, staring at me with her electric blue eyes.

I nodded stubbornly. "Of course I am, Thals. This is the only way that this could work. And don't call me Annie."

Thalia ignored me, and replied, "Okay, ok. I'm just making sure you don't do something you regret. I don't trust those guys," as she gestured to the group of guys in front of us.

I opened my mouth to make some sort of retort about how I could handle myself, but thought better of it. I instead nodded and walked towards the group of jocks.

As I walked towards them, a few of the guys noticed me and pointed at me. One stepped in front of me and asked, "Where's all your friends? Pretty little ladies like you should know better than to walk around alone."

Stopping in front of him, I glared at him, even though I was a full foot shorter. "Philip, I suggest you move out of my way, unless you want me to report you to the principal for hazing freshmen." With that, I shoved past him, stopping in front of the leader of the group

Percy Jackson.

Percy quickly stopped talking to the guy next to him as he noticed me. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, he asked, "Why are you here, Chase?"

Meeting his gaze, I replied, "We need to talk."

Smirking, he replied, "We are talking, or did I miss something."

My eyes narrowed slightly as I replied, "In private."

Percy's brow furrowed as he stared into my eyes. I stubbornly refused to drop my gaze as my gray eyes met his green ones. Grey and green.

After an uncomfortable pause of Percy and me having a staring contest, he blinked and crossed his arms. "Meet me at Starbucks at, say, 2:45."

My brow furrowed, and I inquired, "Why Star-"

Percy cut me off with a raised hand, "I like Starbucks."

I stared at him incredulously. After a moment, I nodded. "Starbucks, then." Without waiting for an answer, I quickly walked out of the circle the jocks had formed.

Once I walked down the hallway to where Thalia was, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. Thalia quickly asked, "Well? How did it go?"

"Good." Sneaking a quick glance down the hallway, I saw that Percy was still staring at me with those deep, green eyes. Quickly looking away, I muttered to Thalia, "Let's get out of here," as I quickly walked away.

**At Starbucks**

"Going somewhere, Chase?" Percy asked with a smirk.

I balled my fists and counted to ten, then sat down, saying "Jackson, I'd like to get this over as quickly as possible, because I'm sure we both have things that need to get done."

Percy raised one eyebrow. "What, you got some homework that absolutely has to be done?"

I ignored him, and continued, "I have a sort of proposition for you. I'll-"

Percy cut me off by raising his hand. "Before we discuss this, can I get something to drink? I'm kinda thirsty." I frowned and started to object, but he was already standing up. I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair as I watched him stride over to the cashier and order his drink. He then walked over to the side counter as he waited for his drink to be made and leaned on the wall, running his hands through his hair. I found myself staring at the mess of black hair, trying to follow a certain lock of hair as it wound through the rest of his hair. Looking across the store, Percy saw me staring at him and winked while smirking.

I quickly looked down at my phone. I had three texts from Thalia asking how it was going. I quickly texted her back saying that we were just getting started. Looking up, I saw Percy had gotten his drink and was coming back towards the table. Putting my phone back in my pocket, I crossed my arms and glared at him as he sat down.

Ignoring my angry stare, Percy took a sip of his drink, then quickly put it down grimacing. He probably burned his tongue. I muttered under my breath, "Idiot." However, Percy heard me and stuck out his tongue childishly at me.

I rolled my eyes, then asked, "If you're done being a child, can we continue?"

Percy nodded. "So, what exactly is this proposition you have?"

I folded my hands and put them on the table. "Well, I'm willing to tutor you for any classes you have trouble with for the rest of the year, or until you want to stop."

Percy folded his hands in front of his mouth. After a couple seconds, he gestured at me and asked, "So what would you be getting out of this?"

I cleared my throat nervously. This was the part I was most nervous about. "Well, um, you know who I-" I stopped, coughing nervously. After a moment, I continued, "You know who I have a crush on."

Percy smirked. "What crush?" he asked innocently. I glared at him.

"You know."

"What if I want you to remind me?"

For a second, I wondered if it would be worth it to punch him and just walk out. Deciding against it, I conceded. "Fine. You know I have a crush on Luke." Percy leaned back with devilish grin on his face, and gestured for me to continue. "If I tutor you, would you be willing to help me, like, get together with him?" I grimaced at how low I was stooping. Was I really this desperate? Deciding it didn't matter because I had already said it, I looked up into Percy's eyes. I was surprised to find that he wasn't smirking, but looked to be deep in thought.

After a moment, Percy put his hands down on the table, and said, "Sure. I'll do what I can. No promises that he'll go along with it though."

I nodded. I quickly asked him, "So, um, when and where do you want me to tutor you?"

Scratching the back of his neck, he replied, "Why not here? We both know where it is, and we can take breaks to get drinks or something."

"Sure," I replied. So, see you, Friday, then?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and Jackson?"

"Yea?"

"At least try to not make it obvious." And with that, I swept up my backpack and walked out of away.

**Okay, there it is. The first chapter of my first fic. If anyone reads this and has any suggestions, they are most welcome. So yea. Hope you liked it. Or at least didn't hate it too much.**

**-nakati7**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. Thanks for actually reading my story. I didn't think anyone would even read it, and it makes me really happy that you did. And with that, onto the story.**

**Oh, I forgot. I don't own anything from the PJO series.**

Annabeth's POV

I set down my lunch tray on the table and sat down across from Thalia. She looked up from her phone, and quickly stole my chicken wrap. Rolling my eyes, I ripped open my salad container and started to eat that instead. I heard Thalia mutter "Health freak."

I retorted, "Hey now. Don't bite the hand that feeds you." Thalia scoffed and stole my carton of milk.

After she was done eating the chicken wrap, she asked, "So you're sure you don't want me coming with you today. I mean, I know that we're still in high school, but I wouldn't put anything past those guys."

I stopped eating my salad for a second to respond. "Come on, Thals, I'm seventeen now. I can handle myself." Thalia grunted, then chugged my milk carton.

Ignoring the loud gulp sounds coming from her, I looked over her shoulder to where Luke was sitting. He was again surrounded by a group of burly jocks, all of them playfully punching and shoving each other. I saw him say something, and everyone laughed. Down the table a bit, I saw Percy. However, I noticed that Percy wasn't participating. He was quietly sitting there, eating his lunch and tapping some beat on the table. Suddenly he looked up and met my gaze. After a second, he winked at me. I quickly averted my gaze and resumed eating my salad. That boy and his flirtatious attitude. And I have to spend over an hour with him today.

Sighing, I stood up and threw my empty salad container away. "Thalia, I have to go to a meeting for debate club. See you next period." She grunted and made a sort of half wave gesture. I shouldered my backpack and walked out of the cafeteria, forcing all thoughts of Percy Jackson out of my head.

Percy's POV

I watched as Annabeth walked out of the cafeteria. Probably had some club meeting or something. She was always doing that.

Somebody punched my arm, and I turned my gaze onto one of my friends. "What do you want, Nico?"

Nico smirked as he asked, "Why were you staring at Annabeth?" I rolled my eyes and resumed eating my burger. Nico began poking me in the side as he adopted a childish tone. "Aw, does somebody have a crush on Annabeth?"

I scoffed and slapped his hand away. "Oh, totally. But I wouldn't be talking when all you do is stare at her friend. What's her name? Victoria?"

Nico's cheeks turned red as he muttered, "It's Thalia. And I don't have a crush on her."

It was my turn to smirk as I retorted, "Says the one who's blushing." Nico blushed even more as he turned away and started muttering under his breath.

"Yo, Perce!" I turned towards the sound of my name to see Grover running up to me.

"Hey, G-man. What's up?" I asked.

After panting for a couple seconds, he asked me, "Hey, after school, can you come to the Eco club meeting?"

I took another bite of my burger and replied, "Sorry man, not today. I've got somewhere I have to be already." Grover stared at me suspiciously. "Seriously, I'm not trying to get out of it. I'm having a tutoring session with Annabeth." Nico made an _Aww_ behind me, so I purposely shoved him as I stood up.

Grover nodded, and said, "Next time, then."

I nodded. "Gotta go, guys. See you in math." And with that, I picked up my bag and walked away.

* * *

I opened the door and walked into Starbucks. After looking around, I saw that Annabeth hadn't shown up yet, so I walked up to the cashier. "Hi, can I get a grande caramel frappuccino?" The cashier put in my order as I pulled out my wallet. Giving him the money, I walked over to the side counter and leaned on the wall.

At that moment, I heard the door open. Shifting my gaze, I saw Annabeth walk in and make a beeline straight for a table next to the window. Taking her backpack off, she sank into one of the seats and pulled out her phone.

After a couple of minutes, one of the workers called my name and set my drink on the counter. I swiftly grabbed and put a straw in it, then worked my way through the crowd over to Annabeth. She was completely absorbed in her phone, however, and didn't see me approaching. I stopped behind her and bent down so my head was right behind hers. "Having fun?"

Annabeth jumped and turned quickly, but rolled her eyes when she saw me. "Yea, whatever. Just sit down so we can get this over with."

I sat down with my smirk still plastered on my face. After putting her phone away, she looked up at me. "So, what do you need help on?"

As I took my backpack off and opened it, I replied, "I was thinking that maybe you could help me on the math homework."

"Really? It seemed relatively easy to me."

"Yea, well, some people aren't very good at math."

Annabeth shrugged and opened the math textbook I had placed on top of my desk.

As she flipped through the book, I noticed one of her blonde curls bounced every time she turned a page. I became fixated on this as she turned to the correct page.

"Percy. _Percy._" I jumped as I realized I was staring.

"What?"

"You were staring at me."

I scoffed, and replied, "No, I just zoned out."

Annabeth raised one eyebrow. "You just happened to zone out on my face."

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Whatever. So, um, how do you do this?" I gestured to the page in front of me. Annabeth rolled her eyes and pulled out a piece of paper, writing down complicated equations.

After a few minutes of this, I decided to voice a question I had been pondering. "So, I was wondering something." Annabeth looked up from the textbook. "Why did you pick me of all people to help you out with Luke?"

Annabeth pursed her lips, and after a moment replied, "Because you're the only one besides Thalia who knows that I like him."

I nodded and looked back down at my paper. That made sense, I guess. A smirk crept onto my face as I recalled the day I figured out that Annabeth had a crush on Luke.

* * *

_I dragged myself out of the pool, exhausted yet exhilarated. Standing up, I high-fived Luke with a laugh. I had just won another swim meet. Across the pool, the swimmers from Jupiter High School stared resentfully at our team._

_After talking to a couple of the guys on the team for a little, I made my way into the locker room to dry myself off. After I changed back into an orange t-shirt with the name of my school, Goode High School, and a pair of loose black pants, I walked back outside. Luke and Coach Hedge were the only ones still there._

_Suddenly, I heard a screech. Turning around quickly, I saw a blonde girl had lost her balance, and was teetering over the pool. After a second of wobbling back and forth, she fell into the pool with a loud splash. Luke instantly dived into the pool and swam over to her. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to the side of the pool and helped her out, then gave her a towel. Walking closer, I recognized who it was. "Annabeth?"_

_Brushing her sopping wet hair out of her eyes, she glared at me. "What?" she hissed._

_Suddenly I noticed her face was bright red. "Are you blushing?" Her face turned an even more brilliant shade of crimson. "Oh my god, you are!" Looking around, I saw Luke talking to the coach. "You like Luke?"_

_Walking past me, Annabeth muttered, "I don't think the entire school heard you."_

_As she stalked away, I yelled after her, "Is that a yes?" I smirked when she held up her hand in a rude hand gesture._

* * *

"Earth to Percy. Percy, snap out of it." I blinked back into reality to see Annabeth glaring at me. "You spaced out again."

I quickly apologized. "Sorry. I was remembering that one swim meet where you got wet." I smirked when Annabeth blushed.

For the next hour, she extracted her revenge by drilling several equations into my head through excruciatingly meticulous practice. After I finished the last problem, she closed the book and sighed. "Well, that's it for today. See you here on Wednesday?"

I nodded. "Thanks for the help." She nodded, before walking out. As I gathered up all of my books, a thought crossed through my mind. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as it seemed.

**Well, there's chapter 2. Hope you guys liked it. All reviews are welcome. How did you like the backstory? Was it too cheesy or did you like it?**

**-nakati7**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys. Thanks for the awesome reviews. I can't believe that at the point I'm writing this, over five hundred people have read this story. That's just amazing. So again, thanks for all of the support.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the PJO series.**

Annabeth's POV

I sat down in my seat just as the bell rang. A moment later, Thalia sat down next to me and casually threw her backpack onto the floor next to her. I softly muttered "You're late." Thalia rolled her eyes and leaned forward in her chair.

"So, how was it?" She inquired. I gave her a quizzical look. "You know, tutoring Percy."

I unzipped my backpack and pulled my textbook out. "Tutorish," I replied sarcastically. Thalia rolled her eyes. I smiled back innocently.

"You know what I mean." She took out her own textbook and laid it on her desk.

I hesitated a moment, then replied, "It was fine. It wasn't horrible or anything, but I wouldn't say that it was fun."

Thalia nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. She opened her mouth to ask me another question, but at that moment the teacher started speaking about the importance of ancient Mediterranean literature.

A few minutes later, after the teacher had given an assignment and retreated behind his desk, Thalia put down her pencil and looked up at me. "So, did Percy ask you anything about him?" she whispered.

I shook my head while writing an answer. After a moment, I stopped and said, "Well, he did bring up when he figured out how I had a crush on him."

Thalia nodded, and stared at her book, processing my answer. A couple seconds later, she asked, "How did he figure that out?" I felt my face start to heat up, but I didn't reply.

Looking back at my textbook, my gaze rested on a fairly gruesome painting of the Greek hero Perseus beheading Medusa. We were currently looking into Greek mythology. Personally, I always found the myths fairly interesting, if not repetitive.

Suddenly, I heard the teacher call my name. Looking up, I saw him looking at me. Gesturing me, he asked, "Miss Chase, would you care to tell us the name of the author who wrote the Odyssey and the Iliad?"

I cleared my throat, and replied, "Homer?"

The teacher raised his eyebrow. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

I replied in a more confident voice, "The author of those stories was Homer."

The teacher smiled, and responded, "Thank you, Miss Chase." He then looked away and continued to talk about the importance of Homer's work.

Suddeny, I heard snickering behind me. Then, a voice behind me whispered, "Yea, good job, nerd. Does the teacher give his pets good snacks?"

I clenched my fist, but ignored them. Thalia started to turn, but stopped when I sent her a pointed look. She turned back around into her seat, but I noticed that she had an angry expression the rest of class.

* * *

After class, I walked outside and waited for Thalia to come out. A few moments later, I saw her walking towards me with a peeved expression.

"Annie, why do you let them bully you?"

I frowned. "I'm not letting them bully me. I'm just keeping the situation from getting any worse. And don't call me that."

Thalia narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, but I cut her off. "Thals, I can fight my own fights. I don't need help with them. Plus, I don't really care what some delinquents think about me anyways."

Thalia pursed her lips, but nodded after a second. "Well, if you ever do need any help, you know I'm here for you."

I smiled. "I know. What else are best friends for?"

Thalia smiled. She started to say something, but saw something behind me and froze.

Turning around, I saw a boy walking towards me quickly with a worried expression on his face. Of course, I recognized him instantly.

Percy Jackson.

* * *

Percy's POV

I quickly walked down the hallway towards Annabeth. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Was this really necessary? Deciding it was, I continued to make my way towards her.

I noticed that she was talking to Thalia about something. Noticing me, Thalia froze with her mouth open, and after a moment, Annabeth turned around.

I gulped, then stopped in front of her. I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck and said, "Um, hi."

Annabeth raised one eyebrow. "What do you want, Jackson?"

I shuffled my feet, and hesitantly asked, "Can you help me with something?"

She crossed her arms and replied, "I'm listening."

I glanced at Thalia. She didn't seem ecstatic to see me, to say the least. I looked back at Annabeth and coughed nervously. "Um, can you help me check out book in the library?"

She raised both eyebrows incredulously. "You need me to help you check out a book."

"I don't need you to help me check it out. I just, um, don't know where it is."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, before asking, "How did you get the rest of your books?"

Shrugging, I answered, "Every other time, the entire class went." Seeing her open her mouth to protest, I quickly continued, "And I can't ask one of my other friends. Grover's doing something with his girlfriend, and the rest of the guys-" I faltered. It felt like someone had just submerged my heart in water. After a second, I continued in a softer voice, "They wouldn't understand."

She scrunched her eyebrows together. I could tell she noticed the sudden change in my attitude. Trying to cover up the sudden break in my emotional wall, I plastered on my go-to smile and said, "Come on, it'll be fun!"

She still didn't look convinced, and stared at me. After I had started to consider how mad Grover would be if I grabbed him instead, she replied, "Sure."

Behind her, Thalia's eyes widened. "Annie," she spluttered, "What are you doing? He's one of the jocks! He probably just wants to molest you in the library or something."

I scowled and started to turn away, when Annabeth replied without turning, "Thalia, I'll be fine. I can handle myself." I did not doubt that, looking at the steel in her gray eyes. Still staring at me, she continued, "Also, he seems different." I raised an eyebrow as she walked past me.

Thalia glared at me, but muttered, "You had better catch up. She's not gonna wait for you." Then she stalked off in the other direction.

I quickly turned and ran after Annabeth.

I quickly caught up, muttering about the impatience of girls, when I saw that her eyebrows were knitted together. Jokingly, I remarked, "You frown too much."

Annabeth blinked, then looked at me to see if I was being serious. Seeing my smirk, she rolled her eyes, and I chuckled. After a second, she replied, "I was thinking."

"Shocker," I deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes again. "No. Like, I was thinking about when you said your friends were busy."

My smile melted off my face. "What about it?"

"You said that your other friends were busy."

"They are." I glanced up at her. She still wasn't looking at me as we walked. The water around my heart started to get a little colder. "I'm not lying to you."

"I believe you." She quickly replied. "What I'm saying is, the fact that you said other friends, and not just friends, implies that you consider me a friend."

She stopped and faced me. I quickly dropped her gaze. "Do you consider me a friend?" she asked hesitantly.

I looked up into her eyes. After a moment, I said sincerely, "Yes."

Annabeth tilted her head to one side, and stared into my eyes. I gazed back, not wanting to lose the apparent staring contest.

After a moment, I saw a small smile tugging at her lips. She turned and resumed walking down the hallway. Catching up to her, I said, "You know, that wasn't nice."

"What wasn't nice?" she replied innocently.

"Just walking off like that."

She smiled up at me. "What? I thought I was going to show one of my friends how to use a library."

I stopped for a second as that processed. After a moment, a smile broke out on my face, and I ran after her. For the first time in a while, the water in my chest didn't feel that cold.

**There's chapter three. I hope the character progression wasn't too fast. Oh well.**

**Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. I don't really have anything to say except thanks for reading this. So. Um. Here's chapter four.**

Annabeth's POV

I sighed. I didn't really understand how learning how to draw how carbon atoms bonded would help her in college, but I didn't complain. Better to just do the work and get it over with.

Suddenly, I became aware of a loud whispering sound. Looking to my right, I saw Percy whispering frantically to Luke. Luke had a thoughtful expression, eyebrows knit together over those beautiful, entrancing blue eyes….

I blinked. Now was not the time to get distracted by staring at Luke. At least he didn't notice that I was staring at him. Chancing a glance at him, I saw that he was now staring at me. I quickly looked forward, stubbornly trying to repress the blush growing on my face.

I jumped as a loud snort split the quiet atmosphere. After a second, I turned my head to find the source of the commotion. Percy was sitting in his chair, silently laughing. I sent him a deadly scowl, but he just smirked and resumed his work.

Looking forwards, I saw the teacher approaching my desk with a stack of papers. "Annabeth, can you pass these tests back to the class for me?"

I nodded and took the stack. Looking at the first paper, I saw the name _Luke Castellan_. Of course.

I stood up and started making my way towards him. Thankfully, he didn't notice I was coming until I was right in front of him.

As quickly as possible, I dropped his paper on his desk and tried to walk away. However, I stopped when I felt a strong hand clamp down on my wrist.

Eyes wide, I turned around to find Luke grabbing me. Looking up at me, he quietly whispered, "Can I talk to you after class?" After a moment, I nodded. He let go of my arm, and I quickly walked to the next desk and handed them their paper.

When I handed Thalia her paper, she gave me a questioning look, as if to say _What was that about?_

Glancing back to see if the teacher was still distracted, I quickly whispered, "Luke asked me if he could talk to me after class."

Thalia's eyes narrowed. She quickly asked me, "Do you want me to go with you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Thals, I'll be fine. It's not like he's going to try anything."

Thalia didn't respond, so I moved on to the next desk.

* * *

Once the bell rang, I quickly packed my stuff into my backpack. I quickly exited the crowded classroom, and saw that Luke was leaning on one of the walls. Seeing me, he stood up and walked over to me.

He stopped in front of me and put his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

I looked up at him, and trying to sound confident, replied, "Hi."

Luke didn't respond, but just stared at me. After a moment, I began, "So you wanted to talk to me?"

He blinked. "Yea. One of my friends mentioned that there was a girl he knew that might happen to have a crush on me."

My eyes widened slightly, and I hoped I wasn't blushing. "So why are talking to me about this?"

Luke chuckled, then leaned forward until his face was inches from mine. "How many girls with blonde curly hair do you know?" Yep. I was definitely blushing.

Luke straightened up, and the casually continued, "I was wondering because there's a swim meet after school today, and I was going to invite you, but since apparently since you don't have a crush on me-"

I quickly cut him off with my hand. "Fine." He gestured for me to continue. I took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. "I have a crush on you."

Luke smirked, and started to walk away. Over his shoulder, he called, "See you at the swim meet."

I rolled my eyes, then turned and began quickly walking to my next class.

Percy's POV

I walked into Starbucks and quickly got in line. After I had received my usual caramel frappuccino, I strolled over to our table next to the window and sat down.

After scanning the store to see if Annabeth was here yet, I pulled out my phone. I quickly replied to a text from Grover asking for the chemistry homework, then to Nico asking if I was at my "weekly date with Annabeth" (It's not a date, idiot).

I looked up again. Annabeth still wasn't here. This was strange. She was never late. I thought she would be waiting for me, seeing as I had just come from a swim meet.

Suddenly, I saw Luke's car pull up to the coffee shop. Instead of Luke getting out, the passenger door opened and I saw Annabeth exit, and quickly walk inside. She quickly walked through the shop to our table.

As she sat down, I muttered loud enough for her to hear, "You're late."

Ignoring my comment, she glared at me suspiciously. "What did you do, Jackson?"

I scoffed indignantly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Annabeth leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Today, after chemistry, Luke came up to me and said that one of his friends told him that I liked him."

"Oh. That." She continued to glare at me as I scratched my neck awkwardly. "I never specifically said it was you. I just mentioned that I knew a girl who had a crush on him." Annabeth opened her mouth, but I cut her off. "He knew it was you because he asked me what you looked like."

She was silent for a minute, processing all of this information. After a long pause, she asked, "Why did you tell him at all?"

I raised one eyebrow. "You're the one who told me it would be my job to help you with Luke, so that's what I did."

Annabeth nodded slowly, staring out the window. After a moment, I asked, "Why did you come here in looks car?"

A light blush grew on her face. She replied, "Luke invited me to the swim meet, and afterwards he gave me a ride here."

I smirked. "So you were late because you were having romantic times with Luke."

Annabeth kicked me under the table, and I laughed as her blush grew even more. After a second, she stated, "I didn't see you after the swim meet. How did you get here so fast?"

The smile fell off of my face. "I left right after the meet was over."

Tilting her head to one side, she asked, "Why?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I just didn't have a reason to stay."

"It seems kind of like you were trying to avoid-"

I slammed my hand on the table. A few people turned to see what was happening. "Can we talk about something else please?"

Annabeth frowned, but nodded. "What school work do you need help with today?" She asked.

"I need some help with the chemistry homework." As I took my binder out of my backpack, I could feel the cold settling in my chest.

For the next few minutes, Annabeth quietly helped me draw diagrams of atoms bonding. Deciding I couldn't take the silence anymore, I asked, "So how was your day today?"

She replied sarcastically, "Schoolish." I rolled my eyes. After a second, she continued, "Oh, in Calculus, Thalia tripped and fell on the teacher's desk. She knocked over the entire day's papers. You should have seen the teacher's face." She smiled to herself and looked out the window.

Looking up at her, I smiled too. I don't know why. I didn't have a reason to be smiling. But I did anyways. I couldn't help it. Maybe it was because Annabeth looked nice when she smiled. _She should smile more often_.

I blinked. Where did that thought come from? I shook my head and looked up at Annabeth again. "Can we continue now, or is there something outside that demands your attention?"

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed my paper. She proceeded to show me how I had done half the page wrong, and started erasing the offending diagrams.

I felt another smile coming on. Deciding that, perhaps, smiling wasn't such a bad thing, I let it shine through as I leaned back and watched as Annabeth started filling in my homework.

**There it is. Hope you liked it. Thanks for all of the reviews that I've been getting. I really appreciate them. As always, all suggestions are welcome.**

**Oh, and I've noticed other authors having people ask them questions. Do people do that a lot? If you ask, I might answer. I don't know.**

**-nakati7**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. I just found out that this story has almost 1500 views! This makes me really happy, so I just want to thank all of you again for reading this.**

Percy's POV

I held out my tray as the lunch lady piled it full of food. I made a point not to look at it as I walked to the cashier. On a good day, the appearance only made it slightly less appetizing than it already is.

After paying, I walked out into the main room of the cafeteria. I scanned the room for my usual table, and quickly found Nico.

As I walked over to him, I noticed that he was intently staring at something, so much so that he didn't notice me stopping behind him. Attempting to follow his gaze, I looked down a few tables. I blinked in surprise. Why was he staring at Thalia?

I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Stare too much longer and you might start to drool." Nico cursed and whipped his head around, frowning when he saw me.

I laughed and sat down next to him. Nico looked away and muttered sullenly, "I wasn't staring at her."

I smirked and replied, "The fact that you know who I'm talking about just supports my case." Nico continued to pretend to be interested in the wall across the cafeteria. After a second, I said, "Hey Nico, look at me for a second."

He turned to face me with a scowl on his face, his cheeks red. I immediately burst into laughter. Nico narrowed his eyes, and asked, "What?"

After a few seconds, I replied through chuckles, "You are really blushing." Nico's eyes widened, and his cheeks became a more brilliant shade of red.

After a moment, he retorted, "Well, you can't make fun of me when you have a crush on Annabeth."

I immediately stopped laughing. "I don't have a crush on Annabeth."

Nico smirked. "Says the one that goes on weekly dates with her." I opened my mouth to retort that they weren't dates, but he cut me off. "Even if they aren't dates, don't pretend that I haven't seen you staring at her every day."

He laughed as I fumbled to deny it. Suddenly, he stopped laughing. Turning around, I saw Annabeth walking towards me. I groaned. Why did this have to happen to me?

She stopped in front of me. "Hey Percy."

Trying to sound casual, I replied, "Hey." In my peripheral vision, I could see Nico trying to hold in laughter.

"So," she continued, "You're all good for today at Starbucks, right?" I nodded. "Good, just wanted to check. So, I'll see you later." She quickly turned and walked away.

I slowly turned around, then folded my hands in front of my mouth. Next to me, Nico burst out in laughter. "I think that counts as proof."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have a crush on Annabeth, did I? I tried to convince myself that I didn't. But if not, where did these fluttering feely things that appeared whenever she talked to me come from?

I sighed. I felt the sudden need to punch something to feel manly again. Looking to my left, I saw Nico. An evil grin appeared on my face.

Annabeth's POV

I sat down next to Thalia at the table. She looked up at me from her food, grunted, then went back to eating.

After a minute, Thalia looked up again and asked, "So why'd you go talk to Percy?"

After swallowing a piece of my salad, I replied, "I was just checking that he's gonna be at tutoring today."

Thalia nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. From behind me, someone said, "Hey, Annabeth."

My eyes widened as I recognized the voice. Turning around, I saw Luke standing next to me. I quickly replied, "Hi Luke."

Luke put his hands in his pockets. "So, um. I don't have anything to do after school today, and I was wondering if you would like to go see a movie?"

I blinked. "Of course I would like to." Suddenly I remembered that I had to tutor Percy. "But I have to tutor Percy after school until 3:45."

Luke smiled. "That's perfect. Frozen is playing at four, so I can just pick you up."

I bit my lip and looked into the air as I thought about it. After a minute, I brought my gaze back to Luke and his charming smile. "I would love to."

Luke replied, "Cool. See you after school." He then walked past our table towards his usual area.

After a moment, Thalia said, "We already went to see Frozen."

I looked at her. "I know."

Thalia smiled and shook her head.

My brow furrowed. "Thals, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." I raised one eyebrow skeptically. She shrugged. "I just don't like the way he looks at you sometimes. He looks… hungry, sort of."

I frowned. "Thalia, you know I can-"

She cut me off. "Yea, I know you can handle yourself. But that doesn't mean I can't watch out for you."

I smiled. Suddenly, I looked at my watch. I quickly put on my backpack and stood up. "Sorry Thals, I have to go to debate team now."

She nodded, then pulled out her phone. I quickly walked towards the door of the cafeteria.

* * *

Suddenly I stopped as realization hit me. I was going on a date with Luke! I felt a smile break out on my face. This day was going to be great.

Percy sat down across from me with his drink. As he took a sip, I said, "I can't stay late today. Luke's picking me up right after we're done."

I saw a flash of emotion in his eyes, but it disappeared instantly. He leaned back with a smirk. "So you're ditching me to get all romantic with Luke?" I frowned indignantly and opened my mouth, but he cut me off. "No, I get it. It's fine."

I pursed my lips, but stayed silent. After a few seconds of silence, he started going through his backpack. Instead of pulling out his binder like he normally did, he pulled out a long, thin box. Opening it, he took out a plastic straw.

He handed it to me. "Here, take this." My brow furrowed, but I took it anyways.

I held it in the air and looked at it. "Um, why did you just give me a straw?"

He replied, "It's one of those anti date-rape straws. My mom takes them on her dates."

I frowned. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Percy's face darkened, and he replied, "Let's just say that Luke has a history of using people."

My eyes narrowed, and I put the straw in my backpack.

We resumed sitting awkwardly in silence. Percy suddenly pulled out his binder. "So would it be possible to explain to me the prompt for that essay in English?"

* * *

Luke parked his car in front of the theater. He quickly pulled out his keys and got out of the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door, but stopped. Almost as an afterthought, I took the straw out of my backpack and put it in my pocket. I then quickly climbed out of the car.

As we walked towards the booth in the front of the theater, Luke asked me, "Are you excited for this?"

I nodded my head energetically. I didn't mind going to see Frozen again, but going with Luke was almost unbelievable.

After we bought our tickets, we stepped inside the theater and got in line to buy some snacks. Once we bought a large tub of popcorn and two sodas, we stepped out of line. I handed Luke my soda and said, "I'll be right back." I then turned and walked into the bathroom.

Coming out, I saw Luke standing right where I left him. Walking over to him, I grabbed my soda and walked towards one of the doors.

Luke quickly caught up with me. I sighed happily as the scent of popcorn wafted over me. Luke smiled at me as he opened the door. However, as I looked at him, there seemed to be something else behind his smile that I hadn't seen before.

Suddenly, Thalia's words ran through my head. Making sure Luke wasn't watching as we walked into showing room, I quickly took out the straw in the drink and replaced it with the one Percy gave me.

I quickly followed Luke up some stairs as he decided where to sit. Once we sat down, I glanced at the straw. It was still transparent as ever. I sighed. Why would Luke try to do anything anyways?

All these thoughts were pushed from my mind as the movie started. For the next hour, Luke and I took turns stealing the popcorn tub from each other as we watched the movie while drinking large amounts of soda. I threw a piece at his face and he caught it in his mouth. After a second, we both started to laugh. This was definitely one of the best times at a theater I had ever had. Looking at Luke, he seemed to be just as happy. His face was practically glowing.

Suddenly, I gasped. His face wasn't glowing. The straw was.

I stood up abruptly and spilled the popcorn on the floor. I ran across the row to the stairs, tripping over people's legs. As I ran down the stairs, I noticed it was significantly harder to move than it was before.

Once I got to the bottom, I tripped and fell on the carpet. I frantically clawed for the railing, grabbing it after much to long of a time. With an enormous effort, I heaved myself up, and started to fumble my way to the door.

Right before I grabbed the door handle, I felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around my waist. Looking up, I saw Luke with a grin on his face.

He steered me out the door and through the main area of the theater. I felt like I wasn't in my body anymore, but looking at it from a distance.

Once we were outside, I started to try to wiggle myself out of his grasp. Luke laughed, and said, "Come now, you don't wanna miss the best part of the night, do you?" Instead of walking to his car, Luke steered me towards the alley. "Now I know what's going to happen might be a little painful, but I think that you'll enjoy it by the end."

My eyes widened as I realized what he meant. I frantically looked around for anyone that could help, but there was no one around. Suddenly, as we were about to enter the alley, I saw him.

Summoning the last of my strength, I screamed as loud as I could, "Percy!"

I saw him look at me, and our eyes met. Gray and green. Then I saw no more as I succumbed to unconsciousness.

**Sorry that I didn't update last week. I just never got around to typing, but I don't really have an excuse. So I will continue trying to update every week. As before, all reviews are welcome.**

**-nakati7**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I just found out that this story has almost 2800 views! Thanks to all of you for reading this. Oh, and sorry about the cliff hanger. But I've been planning that for weeks. Hehe.**

Percy's POV

I stared at the blank paper in front of me. I had to write an entire four page essay by tomorrow, and I hadn't even started. I couldn't even say that I didn't understand what to write, not after Annabeth meticulously explained the prompt to me.

No, my problem was I just couldn't focus. Every time I would start to get a thought into my head, it would slip away, leaving me with nothing to write. Really, the only thing I could think about right now was Annabeth.

I frowned. Right now, she was the last thing I wanted to think about. I'm sure she was having an amazing time with Luke at the movies. A sour taste filled my mouth. I attempted to push the thoughts out of my head, but it was really all I could think about.

I leaned back in my chair and ran my hands through my hair. Why couldn't I focus? And what was this dark, angry feeling settling in my gut? If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was jealous. But of what?

Suddenly, an image of Luke kissing Annabeth filled my head. The feeling in my gut greatly intensified, and my brow furrowed. Why was I jealous of Luke? I usually only get jealous around people I have a crush on….

Sighing, I stood up from my desk. I needed some air to clear my thoughts. Walking out of my room, I made my way into the living room, where my mom was reading a book.

"Mom, I'm going for a walk. I'll be back sometime." She looked up from her book and nodded, then resumed reading.

I picked my hoodie up off of the coat hanger next to the door. Pulling it on quickly, I checked to make sure my phone and house key were in my pocket. As I opened the door, I heard my mom call out, "Make sure you're home before dinner!"

I yelled back, "Sure thing," then stepped out the door.

I quickly made my way through our apartment complex to the sidewalk. Once there, I let my let my legs go on autopilot and immersed myself in my thoughts.

Surely I didn't have a crush on Annabeth. She's just a good friend of mine. That's where those weird fluttery feelings are coming from. Right? I mean, just because I get all flustered whenever I see her, it doesn't mean I like her.

I stopped at a crosswalk, looked both ways, then continued forwards. Looking around, I could see that I was going past the theater. The parking lot was completely empty. Everyone was probably watching a movie.

I shifted my eyes back to the sidewalk in front of me and continued my self-examination. Okay, suppose I did like her. What proof was there? One, I got the before mentioned fluttery feely things whenever I saw her. Two, our tutoring sessions were pretty much my favorite time of the week. Three, she made me get all flustered. Four-

Suddenly, I heard a piercing scream of my name split the air. Turning quickly, I looked for the source. I saw a blonde girl being dragged into an alley by a man. I met her eyes, and saw those intense, gray eyes that I had grown irrationally fond of.

But then she closed her eyes, and the man started to drag her farther into the alley. Without even thinking, I charged after them. No one was going to hurt Annabeth if I could do anything about it.

Entering the alley, I saw the man and Annabeth fifty feet in front of me. The man looked up and saw me, then lifted up Annabeth and dashed into a building to his right.

I charged forward, and stopped in front of the door. Looking up, I saw that it was an empty apartment building, probably condemned.

I yanked on the door's handle, but it was locked. I backed up a step, then kicked the door right next to the lock. The door didn't budge, but I heard a splintering sound. Three kicks later, and the door smashed open.

I ran inside, then stopped to look around. The room was dark, with only a little pale light bleeding in through the window. Looking to my right, I saw Annabeth lying on the floor next to the wall.

I started towards her, but stopped. The room had just gotten darker. Turning around, I came face to face with Luke.

My eyes widened and I took a step back. "What are you doing here?"

Luke crossed his arms. "I could ask the same thing about you."

I frowned. "I was chasing this guy that was dragging Annabeth down an alley…" My blood ran cold as I realized that the man ran inside, yet Luke, Annabeth, and I were the only ones in the room. "It was you."

Luke smirked. "I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. I mean, we all know that you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but still." I balled my fists and took a step towards him, but stopped as he took out a knife. "I don't think so, Percy."

I glared at him as he slowly sauntered between me and Annabeth. There was no way I could get to her as long as he was in the way. I had to distract him.

I took a step back and crossed my arms. Gesturing to Annabeth, I said, "Well, this is an all new low for you. I mean, seriously? I could name some girls who would willingly let you do this to them."

Luke scoffed, then started pacing in front of me. "No no, you've got it all wrong, Perce. It's not just about getting what you want. As you said, I could easily get it with any number of girls at school. They're so submissive."

"Girls aren't just playthings for pervs like you, Luke," I spat vehemently.

He chuckled. "I know, Percy. That's what makes it fun. Take Annabeth here," he said as he gestured to her prone form. "She never would have agreed to this." He smiled evilly. "That's why I do this. You get such a rush when you take someone as strong as Annabeth and conquer them so overwhelmingly that they become little more that slaves."

He paused for a moment. "However, the drug will wear off soon, so she'll be awake in a couple minutes." He turned his gaze to me. "So I guess I'll just have to get you to leave before then."

My eyes widened as I took a step back. "You don't have to do this, Luke."

Luke raised one eyebrow. "What, do you think I'm going to kill you?" Before I could answer, he continued, "Well you're wrong. I'm going to let you leave, and you're going to go back to your pathetic life." His eyes narrowed. "Don't think I haven't noticed, Percy. Aside from Nico, you never talk to anyone on the swim team. Sure, you're a good swimmer. But you don't belong. You never have, and you never will. I see you going around pretending to be happy, but you're alone inside. You don't fit in, but you pretend to be happy so no one asks questions."

I felt my face pale. Luke knew exactly what ran through my head.

He continued, "So, I'm going to let you leave. You're not going to tell anyone, because you don't have anyone to tell. You're going to go back to your empty life, and never be able to tell anyone why Annabeth showed up at school as a shell of the person she once was. So go on. I have work to do."

He turned away from me. I clenched my hands into fists. It felt like there was a shard of ice wedged into my heart, and Luke had just nailed it with a hammer. I knew he was right. I wouldn't tell anyone, because I really didn't have anyone to tell. My life would just continue as usual.

Suddenly, I noticed Annabeth. Her life wouldn't be the same. She would be scarred for the rest of her life. Luke could possibly ruin her school career, as well of her chances of getting into college and having a successful life.

At that moment, I made my decision. It didn't matter what happened to me. Annabeth would have the life she deserved.

At that moment, Luke turned around. "One more thing-"

He stopped talking as my fist crashed into his jaw. He staggered back, looking dazed. Suddenly, he looked at me with an enraged expression, hefted his knife, and charged.

I sidestepped his first attack, and crouched under his swipe, then punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As he bent over wheezing, I grabbed his head and slammed it down into my rising knee, knocking him back onto the ground.

Luke suddenly stood up, and slashed at me with his knife. Not having time to dodge, I blocked it with my forearm. I winced as I felt the blade slice through my skin. I took a step back, cradling my arm. Luke stepped forward with a confident smile on his face. He slashed again, and I blocked it with my other arm. I cried out as I felt my arm being sliced apart.

Luke, with his smile and a demented look in his eyes, flipped over his knife in his hand. He then raised his knife, took another step forward, then plunged the knife into my chest.

I gasped, and staggered backwards. Even through the adrenaline, I could feel a huge spike of pain running through my body. This made my arms feel like I had gotten paper cuts. Looking up, I saw Luke watching me, smiling as he saw me die. But I wasn't done. Annabeth was still in trouble.

I strode forward, and with all of my remaining strength, slammed my fist into Luke's nose. He collapsed without a sound.

I staggered over to the wall and fell onto it. Looking down, I saw that Annabeth was unhurt. I sighed with relief.

Suddenly, my legs gave out, and I slid down the wall to the floor. Looking to my left, I saw Annabeth stir. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't have looked away from her face. At least I got to die doing something important, even if no one else would know.

Annabeth's POV

I slowly cracked open my eyes. I had the worst headache I had ever had in my life. It hurt so much I didn't know if it even counted as a migraine at this point.

Suddenly, my eyes flew open. The movies. Luke. Looking around, I deduced that we were in an abandoned apartment of some kind.

Suddenly, I became aware of the bodies on the floor. The one in front of me was Luke. He had a bruise on the side of his jaw, and his nose was twisted at a weird angle. I frowned. What had happened while I was unconscious?

Looking to my right, I saw someone sitting against the wall. Someone with long, black hair. Percy. What was he doing here? Looking down, I saw a knife sticking out of his chest, with blood running down his shirt.

My eyes widened. "No no no!" I yelled, half to myself, half to him. He couldn't die. Save Thalia, he was practically my best friend.

I fumbled in my pocket for my phone. Pulling it out, I quickly dialed 9-1-1.

"_Hello, this is the New York Emergency Center. What is your emergency?"_

I tried to push down the rising terror in my chest and sound calm. "Somebody just tried to rape me, and stabbed someone else. We're in an abandoned apartment building close to the Imperial Theater. Please hurry!" I felt the panic bleed into my voice. Percy couldn't die. The world can't do this to me.

A few minutes later, I heard sirens outside. I ran to the door to get them. Percy wouldn't die if I could do anything about it.

**Sorry about two cliffhangers in a row. But I think it was necessary. So don't hate me too much. As before, all reviews are welcome, and thanks for reading.**

**-nakati7**


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